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robably  rain  today— fair  to- 
morrow. 

(Weather  Report  on  Page  8.) 


LIGHTING  PUNT 


Council  Unanimous  In  the 
Action  Taken. 


COMPANY  REFUSES 
FIVE  YEAR  CONTRACT 


The  Council  Also  Votes  In 
Favor  of  Municipal  Ice 
Plant* 


(Special  to  The  Courant.) 

New  Britain,  Sept.  17. 

The  common  council  tonight  put 
itself  on  record,  unanimously,  in  a pre- 
liminary vote  favoring  municipal 
lighting.  Bight  is  furnished  New 
Britain  by  the  United  Electric  Light  & 
Water  Company,  which  waged  a suc- 
cessful fight  in  the  last  Legislature  for 
an  amendment  to  its  charter  permit- 
ting a bond  issue  for  the  purpose  of 
erecting  a lighting  plant  at  tide  water. 
Attempts  to  secure  cheaper  rates  hAve 
failed  and  the  result  is  the  vote  taken 
tonight  favoring  municipal  lighting. 
Meanwhile  a ten  year  contract  has 
been  signed  with  the  company,  which 
may  be  terminated  at  the  end  of  five 
years. 


Ten-Year  Light  Contract  Signed. 

Alderman  George  A.  Quigley  report- 
ed as  chairman  of  the  special  com- 
mittee on  lighting  contract  made  an 
important  report.  The  committee  ap- 
pointed has  held  three  meetings,  the 
second  of  which  General  Manager 
Campbell  attended.  After  conferences 
with  him  outside  of  the  committee 
meetings  several  important  conces- 
sions in  the  contract  which  amount  to 
a reduction  in  the  price  of  light  were 
obtained.  Under  the  contract  submitted 
the  city  was  entitled  to  a 2 per  cent, 
reduction  in  price  for  every  10  per 
cent,  increase  in  number  of  lights  in- 
stalled above  the  number  called  for  in 
the  contract.  This  discount  applied 
only  to  the  present  lighting  district 
I and  not  to  the  outside  district!  The 
committee  has  secured  from  Mr. 
Campbell  a new  clause  which  will 
include  this  outside  district. 

Two  Per  Cent.  Cut  on  New  Lights. 

This  is  a very  important  concession 
as  a majority  of  the  new  lights  will 
Undoubtedly  be  in  the  outside  section. 
Another  important  concession  is  that 
the  2 per  cent,  discount  applies  im- 
mediately upon  the  installation  of  a 
V-K  bent,  increase  in  the  number 
t\.  Another  important  matter 
tatf&iUup  was  adjusting  the  difference 
which  may  ariise  regarding  the  price 
to  be  charged  for  new  improved  lights 
f that  would  be  substituted  for  old 
style  lamps  from  time  to  time.  It  is 
now  proposed  in  case  a satisfactory 
! agreement  cannot  be  reached  between 
, the  city  and  the  company  as  tg  the 
proper  charge  for  new  lights  the  ihat- 
j ter  be  arbitrated. 

The  committee  was  unable  to  se- 
J eureka  favorable  contract  for  five-year 
' termu  Mr.  Campbell  would  not  agree 
i to  the  prices.  The  prices  would  be 
increased  as  follows:  Arc  lights  $89.25, 
200  cp.  $41.21,  60  cp.  $19.53. 


1 


* 


~f'/f 


Get  Ciieaper  Private  Lights. 

Probably  the  most  important  con- 
cession of  the  committee  was  a reduc- 
tion in  the  price  of  electricity  to  pri- 
vate consumers.  A cut  of  1 cent  per 
kilowatt  hour  will  be  made  within  four 
months,  making  the  price  10  cents  in- 
stead of  11  cents.  The  committee  in- 
cluded with  its  report  a letter  from 
the  general  manager  putting  in  writ- 
ing this  reduction  in  private  lighting 
rates.  The  committee  recommended 
in  viqw  of  the  concessions  the  signing 
of  the  10-year  contract.  Alderman 
Quigley  said  it  hurt  him  to  vote  for  a 
ten-year  contract,  but  he  did  not 
know  what  else  he  could  do.  The 
j reduction  of  1 cent  a kilowatt  would 
mean  a saving  of  $7,000  or  $8,000. 
'Councilman  Parker  thought  the  com- 
mittee ^deserves  the  thanks  of  every 
user  of* electricity  in  New  Britain.  The 
reduction  of  1 cent  per  kilowatt  meant 
|a  whole  month’s  receipts  for  the  com- 
pany. The  committee  had  done  a good 
I work  if  they  only  secured  this  one 
.thing.  The  committee’s  report  was 
adopted. 


To  Go  Into  Municipal  Lighting. 

The  council  finally  voted  unani- 
mously for  the  ten-year  lighting  con- 
tract, after  a prolonged  argument,  apd 
Councilman  Church  withdrew  an 
amendment  for  a five-year  contract. 

The  council  then  tc\ok  from  the 
table  the  matter  of  municipal  light- 
ing business.  Alderman  Christ  moved 
the  adoption  of  the  resolution  to  take 
the  preliminary  vote  to  go  into  the 
municipal  lighting  business.  He  made 
a long  speech,'Strongly  advocating  the 
action,  saying  that  this  did  not  tie  up 
the  city  in  any  way  and  he  gave  as- 
surance that  before  further  action  is 
taken  a thorough  investigation  would 
fee  made. 

Councilman  Church  wanted  to  know 
If  the  company  would  hold  up  all 
improvements  if  the  vote  was  taken. 
Addermap  Christ  said  it  was  a fair 
question,  and  he  could  not  tell  what 
fiffect  it  would  have.  He  believed  the 
pompany  would  go  ahead  tomorrow 
morning  and  make  improvements  to 
make  the  people  believe  that  the  city 
should  not  go  into  the  municipal 
fight  business. 

Alderman  Quigley  said  he  favored 
municipal  lighting  if  they  could  keep 
politics  out.  As  the  company  would 
not  give  the  city  a five-year  contract, 
he  would  vote  for  municipal  lights. 

Councilman  Barton  gave  interesting 
data  to  show  Connecticut  was  far  be- 
yond the  average  in  the  municipal 
lighting  business,  and  it  was  time  fof 
New  Britain  to  get  busy. 

Alderman  Christ  called  for  a roll- 
call  vote  on  the  resolution. 

A roll-call  vote  was  then  taken  and 
it  was  unanimous  for  municipal  light- 
ing. 

The  council  also  voted  for  a muni- 
cipal ice  plants  the  report  of  the  pro- 
ceedings being  given  on  page  13. 


Ep"j  i past-  season,  whether  the  ice  is  used  < 

| ! or  not.  We  find  that  the  greater  part  1 
| j j of  the  shrinkage  is  in  handling  the  c 
I i ice  and  not  while  the  ice  is  in  stor-  " 
i age. 

; j The  figures  pertaining  to  the  erec- 
l|  | tion  of  an  icehouse  at  Shuttle  Meadow 
||  fully  equipped  (icehouse  150  feet  long  > 3 
p*  I by  50  feet  wide  by  3 0 feet  high)  to  the  \ i 
best  of  our  knowledge  are  as  follows:  j< 
j Capacity  of  house,  6,700  tons.  1 


CONN 


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ew 


Building  and  runways  $3,500  j 

Sawdust  and  hay  150' 

Machinery  1,000, 

10-horsepower  motor,  plow  ....  225 

Electric  device  for  pulling  ....  1,300 

Filling  in  around  house 500 

Miscellaneous  and  tools  1,000 


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Total  $7,675 

In  case  the  city  is  compelled  to  go  1 
into  the  delivery  business  on  account ! 1 
of  the  continued  high  prices  of  ice.  , 
it  will  be  an  easy  matter  to  double 
the  housing  capacity  of  the  house  ' 
without  additional  machinery.  There- 
fore, this  committee  wishes  to  submit 
to  your  honorable  body  a resolution  . 
for  your  approval. 

The  Resolution. 

The  committee  followed  the  report 


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with  the  following  resolution: 


Resolved,  That  the  report  of  the 
committee  on  ice  plant  be  accepted 
and  such  a plant  as  suggested  by  the 
committee  be  erected  and  the  matter 
referred  to  the  board  of  finance  and 
taxation  to  make  the  proper  estimate 
of  expense  and  recommend  the 
amount  of  appropriation  to  be  made 
to  meet  the  same  and  a tax  to  cover 
the  appropriation  ana  report  f&me  at 
.next  meeting  of  the  comrrton  council. 

Councilmen  Wagner  spoke  strongly 
in  favor  of  the  report  of  the  commit- 
tee as  chairman.  He  said  that  Shut- 
tle Meadow  Lake  is  as  large  as  all  the 
other  ice  ponds  put  together,  and  by' 
establishing  a plant  they  would  ob- 
viate any  risk  of  shortage  in  the  fu- 
ture. 


Councilman  Spittler  of  the  commit- 
tee gaVe  figures  showing  that  the 
plant  would  be  a big  money  maker. 
He  thought  it  would  pay  to  build  the 
icehouse  there,  if  they  succeeded  in 
getting  the  price  of  ice  reduced  50 
per  cent.,  if  they  didn’t  touch  the  ice. 
Alderman  Lawyer  brought  out  that 
the  ice  could  be  carried  over  for  a 
year  and  a half  to  two  years,  with  only 
a shrinkage  of  5 per  cent. 

' Councilman  Paonessa  wanted  to  add 
$3,000  to  the  appropriation  and  double 
the  capacity  of  the  ice  plant.  Council- 
man Spittler  thought  better  to  wait 
until  after  the  first  year,  as  it  was  an 
experiment. 


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Christ  Wants  io  joc  »nown. 

Alderman  Christ  asked  for  the  an- 
nual consumption,  of  ice  in  New  Brit- 
ain. Councilman  Wagner  said  25>000 
tons.  Alderman  Christ  recalled  a pre- 


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vious  ice  report,  which  showed  such 
profits  that  the  federal  government 
ought  to  apply  it  to  reduce  the  nation-  ( 
al  debt.  He  was  skeptical  about  be-  j 
ing  able  to  control  the  price  of  25,000  j 
tons  of  ice  with  a plant  containing 
6,700  tons.  There  would  be  some  trou- 
ble among  the  tax  payers  as  to  how  it 
should  be  distributed. 

Councilman  Wagner  felt  that  the 
committee  should  go  slow.  He  said 
dealers  certainly  wouldn’t  go  out  of 
town  when  they  buy  ice  here.  The 
more  ice  they  had  the  cheaper  they 
could  sell  to  dealers. 

Alderman  Shine  explained  that  the 
city  paid  $166  for  ice  last  month.  East 
year  they  paid  $150'  for  the  whole  year. 

■ <■>:•  .liman  Veight  opposed  the  pas- 
j sage  Of  the  resolution.  They  ought  to 
provide  ice  for  everybody.  They  ought 
I not  to  go  into  it  in  a half  hearted  way. 
j He  didn’t  believe  they  should  har- 
| vest  ice  at  Shuttle  Meadow  on  account 
of  contamination.  He  favored  con- 
sidering an  artificial  ice  plant.  Coun- 
cilman Paonessa  said  an  artificial  plant 
would  cost  $100,000.  The  city  wasn’t  in 
a position  to  take  it  up. 
j Councilman  Wagner  said  an  artifi- 
| cial  ice  plant  foif  machinery  only 
! would  cost  $58,000. 

The  ice  report  was  adopted. 


To  Establish  Municipal  Ice  Plant. 
The  municipal  ice  committee  mad' 
the  following  report: 

We,  your  committee  appointed  t< 
investigate  the  conditions  of  erecting 
a municipal  ice  plant,  beg  to  report 
This  committee  has  taken  into’  con 
sideration  the  advisability  of  erectim 
a municipal  ice  plant-  so  that  ice  wil 
be  delivered  to  the  people  at  a fail 
price.  After  communicating  with  anc 
inspecting  several  ice  plants  we.  fine 
that  the  difference  between  manufac- 
tured ice  is  so  much  greater  in  price 
to  produce  than  the  natural  ice  thal 
the  committee  is  very  much  in  favor 
of  natural  ice  to  be  cut  at  Shuttle 
Meadow.  This  lake  being  situated  as 
it  is,  makes  it  an  ideal  place  for  har- 
vesting ice.  An  ice  house  erected 
below  the  clam  would  require  very 
little  labor  in  filling  compared  w'tii 
({other  plants  inspected.  Bv  using  an 
electric  device  for  cutting,  and  under 
proper  supervision  by  the  board  of 
health,  the  contamination  is  absolutely 
eliminated.  The  cost  of  the  entire 
p ant,  m the  opinion  of  the  commit- 
tee, will  not  exceed  $1  ..000  and  in  re- 
turn will  stand  this  city  a very  rail- 
percentage. 

The  housing^  of  this  ice  will  protect 
the  citizens  of  this  city  against  anv 
shortage  such  as  we  experienced  thfs 

^ -f-o 


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